Secondary · Voluntary aided school · Whitehaven, CA28 8UG
GCSE 2025/26
#2,031 of 3,312
Worse than 61% of schools in England
Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.
A-level 2024/25
#1,802 of 2,536
Worse than 71% of schools in England
Ranked by average points per A-level entry.
Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 16 Sept 2014
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 112398.
GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.
| Measure | This school | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average. | 43.8, worse than England, better than Cumberland | 40.8 | 46.2 |
| Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass. | 59%, worse than England, better than Cumberland | 54.8% | 64.8% |
| Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass. | 39.7%, worse than England, better than Cumberland | 33.5% | 46.3% |
| Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade. | 10.9%, worse than England, better than Cumberland | 5.4% | 14.2% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 54.5%, worse than England, better than Cumberland | 50.3% | 60.2% |
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 156 | - | - |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.
| Measure | This school | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10. | 30.12, worse than England, similar to Cumberland | 31.8 | 35 |
| Average A-level grade | C | - | - |
| Average points, best three A-levels | 33.81, similar to England, similar to Cumberland | 33.98 | 35.78 |
| Average grade, best three A-levels | C+ | - | - |
| AAB or better | 14.3%, worse than England, similar to Cumberland | 15.4% | 17.5% |
| A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average. | -0.45, worse than England | - | - |
| A-level progress | Below average, worse than England | - | - |
| Students at the end of 16 to 18 study | 73 | - | - |
| Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs. | Dist | - | - |
Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 990 |
| Girls | 496 |
| Boys | 494 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 29.3% |
| First language not English | 6.5% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 1,050 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 5.7% |
| Sixth form places2024/25 | 197 |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 119 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 67 |
| Average class size | 18.6 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 15.6 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 10.9 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 63.45 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 19.04 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 59.63 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 62.5 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 56.8 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 2.6 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 3.2 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day. | 191 |
| Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed. | 358 |
| First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 187 |
| First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 185 |
| Applications from another local authority (Year 7) | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | Cumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 8.9%, worse than England, similar to Cumberland | 8.6% | 8% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 27.1%, worse than England, worse than Cumberland | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 3.5%, similar to England, similar to Cumberland | 3.8% | 3.6% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 25% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 7.9% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0% |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms. | 89.7% |
| Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education. | 69.7% |
| Further education | 40.6% |
| School sixth form | 28.5% |
| Apprenticeship | 17.6% |
| Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms. | 6.1% |
| Employment | 2.4% |
| Sixth form college | 0% |
Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.
Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms. | 95.2% |
| Higher education | 44.6% |
| Apprenticeship | 31.3% |
| Employment | 15.7% |
| Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms. | 3.6% |
| Further education | 1.2% |
Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 mi | Primary | Jericho Primary School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 15 Nov 2023. | |
| 0.3 mi | Secondary | The Whitehaven Academy | Academy sponsor led | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 23 May 2023. | |
| 0.5 mi | Primary | Hensingham Primary School | Academy sponsor led | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 24 Apr 2024. | |
| 0.8 mi | Primary | St Gregory and St Patrick's Catholic Infant School | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 19 Mar 2024. | |
| 0.9 mi | Primary | St Begh's Catholic Junior School | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 17 Jul 2018. | |
| 1.0 mi | Primary | St James' CofE Junior School | Voluntary controlled school | Good Area360 rating. Inspected 2 Jun 2026. | |
| 1.1 mi | Primary | St James' CofE Infant and Nursery School | Voluntary controlled school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 11 Mar 2014. | |
| 1.2 mi | Primary | Monkwray Junior School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 7 Mar 2013. | |
| 1.2 mi | Primary | Valley Primary School and Nursery | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 3 Mar 2015. | |
| 1.3 mi | Primary | Moresby Primary School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 25 Jun 2014. |
St Benedict's Catholic High School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 16 Sept 2014.
St Benedict's Catholic High School ranks 2,031 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 61% of schools) and 1,802 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (worse than 71% of schools).
In 2025/26, 39.7% of pupils at St Benedict's Catholic High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 43.8 (England 46.2).
In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at St Benedict's Catholic High School was C, and 14.3% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).
For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, St Benedict's Catholic High School made 191 offers from 358 applications (1.9 per offer), and 185 of 187 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
St Benedict's Catholic High School has 990 pupils aged 11 to 18.
St Benedict's Catholic High School had 1,050 school places in 2024/25.
Yes, St Benedict's Catholic High School has a sixth form with 197 places in 2024/25.
At St Benedict's Catholic High School, the average class had 18.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.6 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at St Benedict's Catholic High School missed 8.9% of sessions (England 8%), and 27.1% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.